Path to Paradise
by BlueStar29
Summary: It has been a year. Yugi is terminally ill and is dying. To stop his slow suffering, an old friend comes and takes him away. A little odd, but I thought I'd give it a try.
1. Chapter 1

_Okay, this is a story that's been in my head for a while now, and I finally decided to put it on paper. It's short and to the point, so if no one likes it, that's tough. I also have another idea coming up. I know everyone's tired of me torturing Yugi, but ... that's what I do. And I always give him a happy ending, even if it takes a while. It is a romance. If that upsets you, go live in the 1950's. Okay, so let's try this._

---

It was getting so cold … cold and dark. The pain he had had for the last few months was slowly growing dull … and he knew that was not a good sign. He coughed roughly and painfully. The pain in his throat was took much to bear. Even though he felt cold, he was covered in a thin sheet of sweat. His breathing was labored, making each breath sound painful, and it took all of his strength just to draw one. Someone dabbed his forehead with a damp, cool washcloth. He tried to speak, but his voice refused to make a sound.

"Shh, you shouldn't try to speak. Just get some rest, Yugi." Yugi groaned and closed his eyes, not having the strength to keep them open for too long.

"No, I'm fine…" He coughed roughly then took a sip of water from the glass that sat on the end table next to the hospital bed.

"No, you're not. You haven't been '_fine_' in four months." Yugi could not even raise his head to look at his female friend as she spoke. He did, however, manage a pained, small, smile.

"Tea, thanks for everything that you've done, but I"--- He was cut off by another coughing fit. Tea reached over and gave him his water. That seemed to stop it for the time being. She sighed as Yugi's head returned to his pillow.

"Yugi, just rest. Joey, Tristan, and Grandpa will be back with lunch at any minute." Yugi nodded and tried to drift back to sleep. He was so sick of being sick.

He had contracted this unknown virus four months ago when he had gone to the grocery store and ate some newly discovered foreign fruit that had just flown in from Africa. Unfortunately for Yugi, the fruit had not been tested for any diseases, and Yugi, being the diverse person he claimed to be, wanted to try this new fruit.

After the media got word that Yugi was very sick, the grocery store immediately took the fruit away. The media was all over Yugi, trying to get pictures of just how ill he actually was and trying to find out if he was dead, or had a comment on the situation.

Rumors had started to go around after the first month. One rumor claimed that the virus had paralyzed his arm s and that he could never dual again; which was not true. Another rumor said that Yugi had caught an STD, which was impossible since Yugi was still a virgin. The worst rumor claimed the he could not be diagnosed and was dying … which, unfortunately, was correct. This virus had never been seen before, so there was no cure and no treatment.

Yugi's symptoms appeared all over the place. Just when the doctors thought they had figured it out, another, very strange, symptom would surface. First, they had put him on an anti-biotic but the virus seemed to be immune to them. So they had run every common test they could think of: cold, flu, Strep Throat, pneumonia, allergies and even STDs. When none of those tests turned out to give them answers, they proceeded to more exotic diseases such as: Malaria, SARS, the Plague, Small Pox, West Nile, Yellow Fever, Cholera, Anthrax, Rabies, Polio, Tuberculosis, Ebola, and so on. These, however, had the same results. The doctors tried one more tactic and that was to test him for different types of cancers, but Yugi did not have cancer either. So, the doctors were not able to figure out why this boy was so sick.

Half way through the second month, Yugi's symptoms became worse. He seemed to have everything from a stomachache to blood in his urine. Yugi seemed to be rapidly getting worse, especially when the virus began to eat away at his immune system. That was when the doctors moved him into the ICU '_Clean Room_'; a germ-free environment where Yugi's system could not get any worse until they solved this puzzle … or so they thought. However, this was not what really bothered his doctors. What really bothered them was when Yugi's organs began to fail. First, his stomach turned his food back on him. He was now depending on the IV for his food now. Next, his liver began to fail, followed by a lung. He was only breathing with one lung now. Then finally, his heart showed signs that it was beginning to fail as well. With all these vital organs failing, and the rapidness in which they were occurring, the doctors just could not figure this virus out. The most mysterious thing of all was that Yugi had never shown any signs of being contagious. The virus never spread to anyone else. And they could not figure out why. Once the doctors had given up, they moved Yugi out of the '_Clean Room_', and back into a regular room.

They had told Yugi's grandfather, Solomon, that there was nothing more that they could do since the virus had progress too quickly. All they could do was make him as comfortable as possible. Solomon had thrown a fit out of anger and grief, but deep down, around the fourth month, when results had still not been presented, he knew that his grandson's life would be taken by this virus. It was hard for Joey, Tristan, and Tea to accept it as well. Tea had not stopped crying since she was given the news. All she could do for her friend was try to minimize his pain as much as possible. However, that was a task that could not be carried out. Yugi was just in too much pain.

Tea watched s Yugi struggled with each breath that he took. She felt so sorry for him. Yugi did not deserve this. If he had to die, then he deserved to die a peaceful, painless death; but not this. She was so angry with whatever higher power decided to torment little Yugi, who had saved the world countless times, like this.

"Yugi …" Just then, a burst of noise came through the door.

"Boom! Told ya I'd beat ya here, Tristan!" A blonde boy with brown eyes said. His hair was a bit of a mess, but not too much. The brunette standing next to him scoffed.

"That's 'cause I wasn't racin' you, ya dimwit!"

"Well, if I'm a dimwit, that makes you a nitwit!" The blonde laughed at his foul attempt at a joke.

"Oh, good comeback, Sir-Insults-A lot." The older man between the blonde, Joey and the brunette, Tristan, smacked the two of them on the backs of their heads.

"OW!" They both complained in unison.

"Hey, keep your arguing outside!" He yelled, and then approached the bed that his dying grandson laid upon. Joey held up an extra bag while Tristan took a seat around the hospital bed.

"Here ya go, Tea: double cheese burger, extra pickles, tomatoes, onions, no lettuce, extra ketchup, no mustard, mayo and a bag of fries … bon apatite …" Joey said, a look of disgust on his face. "Man, you sure are one picky eater! And everyone complains of my eating habits …" Tea took the meal.

"Hey, I know what I like." As the rest of them began to eat their food, Yugi's nose picked up the scent of it, which intensified the feeling of nausea he had in his stomach.

"Oh no …" Quickly, he reached over to the bucket that sat beside his bed and threw up the IV that substituted for his food. It actually turned out to be mostly blood. At hearing the sound of Yugi's vomiting, the others thought twice about eating … Even Joey.

"Okay … I'm done." He announced, dropping his burger back into the bag. Once Yugi was done, he sat back and coughed. He was so exhausted. He knew it was because of him that his friends and grandfather had lost their appetites.

"I'm so sorry, you guys …" Joey shrugged.

"'Sokay, Yug'. We'll just eat when we get our appetites back." He said this before he could stop the words from falling out of his mouth. Tea slapped him on the back of the head just as Solomon had done earlier.

"Joey!"

"No, it's okay, Tea …" Solomon gave Yugi a hug. The small, sickly boy coughed again before painfully looking at his grandfather.

"…Is Mom coming?" Solomon swallowed the lump in his throat. Everyday, Yugi asked the same question and everyday Solomon had to give him the same answer.

"No, Yugi; she's busy, but she promised to visit tomorrow." Yugi sighed. He knew this answer was coming. Why he continued to ask this question, he did not know. His mother had not come to visit him since he had been in the hospital. She never did seem to care much about being a good mother to Yugi. Her excuse yesterday was that his father was in town. Perhaps this should be explained.

Yugi's father is not what one would call … a '_mature_' man. The man suffered from the '_Peter Pan Syndrome_', meaning that he never wanted to settle down with his family; he still wanted to travel and party. Even though he never married Yugi's mother and only showed up at least once every two years, he still claimed that he loved his son dearly… just not enough to stick around. It seemed now, his father was back and apparently, his mother would rather have fun with him than sitting by her sick son's side and making sure that he was fine.

"Are you alright, Yugi?" Said boy slowly nodded his head.

"I just wanna sleep …" Solomon smiled and tucked his grandson in.

"Okay, Yugi. Have a good sleep. Love you." His voice sounded strong, but for the past few weeks, he masked the fact that he feared every night would be Yugi's last.

"… Love you too, Grandpa…" He coughed again. Solomon ushered the other three teenagers out of the room before Yugi called again. "Grandpa …?"

"Yes, Yugi?" Yugi attempted to sit up before major aches and pains forced him to lie back down.

"Tell Mom that I love her too …?" Solomon smiled. Yugi had such a caring heart.

"Sure, Yugi." The boy smiled and closed his eyes. Solomon let the fake smile on his face fade before he closed the door.

---

Later that night, everything seemed normal. Solomon refused to leave due to the ever-growing bad feeing in his gut. It was about 11:55 p.m. Five more minutes and it would be Yugi's seventeenth birthday. He had missed the last four months of junior year. Joey, Tristan, and Tea would be seniors next year. Hopefully, if Yugi recovered, he could go to summer school and catch up. But that hope was fading with each and every day. Solomon had tears flowing down his cheeks. He seemed to have aged a little more as Yugi's stay in the hospital continued. He did not look as lively as he did months ago.

"Please, someone stop my grandson's suffering …" Solomon buried his face in his hands. Every night he would cry over Yugi's worsening condition and prey, to whomever was listening, for them to take Yugi's pain away; even if that meant losing him. At least the boy would not be suffering anymore.

Suddenly, an alarm went off, catching the old man's attention. Before he could comprehend what was going on, a bunch of doctors and nurses ran down the hall. He peeked to look over the wall and gasped. They ran into Yugi's room.

---

In a place far away, a place that could be considered paradise, a young man, about the age of twenty or twenty-one, sat in a tree, overlooking the looks of happiness on the faces of his people. His dark, plum-colored cape blew in the wind. It was so peaceful here. His naturally tan skin glowed in the sun. He sighed in contempt. This place really was paradise. And even being with all his friends and family, he could not help but feel a sting of loneliness.

He had left the one he loved a year ago; a boy who looked almost exactly like himself. They had been through so much together. They had been so close that they had fallen in love. When it came time for this young man to leave the boy, the boy said to him: '_I can't be selfish; you deserve to rest no matter what._' The young man stared at the boy he loved and told him: _'I love you, Yugi. And I'll see you again … when it's time._' He gave Yugi one last kiss before he walked through the doors that would take him away from his love for who knew how long.

The young man smiled, remembering that day. He leaned his head back against the tree that he was perched in. "I miss you, Yugi …" He placed his right hand over his heart. Lately, he had been feeling a straining pain coming from that area. Sometimes the pain took him by surprise and sapped all his strength, and other times it would be a dull, but annoying, pain. His thoughts were interrupted by a whining voice that he knew all too well.

"Atem!" Hearing his name being yelled like that surprised the young man, now dubbed Atem. He looked down to see a short girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She smirked at him. "What are you doing in that tree?" Atem smirked back.

"Just enjoying the view, Mana. Why don't you join me?" Mana glared up at him with her hands on her hips.

"You know very well that I'm afraid of heights!" Atem chuckled.

"That's what I was counting on." Atem and Mana had been friends ever since they were toddlers in their living lives back in Ancient Egypt. Even to this day, she was still like the sister he never had … or wanted. But he still loved her like family.

For five thousand years, Atem had been trapped in a relic called the Millennium Puzzle, while Mana's life essence was incarnated into a powerful magician known as Dark Magician Girl. Mana used to be a brunette when she was human, but once she became Dark Magician Girl, her hair changed to blonde. Now that Atem was free and both Mana and her master, Dark Magician, also known as Mahad, were able to go with Atem to the Afterlife; however, Mana's hair remained blonde since she was still considered Dark Magician Girl.

"Get down from there; your parents are looking for you!" Atem rolled his eyes. He had forgotten how bossy Mana could be at times. As Mana saw that Atem was not moving fast enough she took her wand and used her magic to make Atem float into the air. This took the ancient ruler by surprise before he floated safely to the ground with an annoyed look on his face.

"I hate it when you do that …" The two did not say anymore as they made their way into the Palace.

In the Afterlife, there really was no need for a Pharaoh to rule, but Aknonkanon, Atem's father, watched over the people he once ruled on behalf of the gods. He took it upon himself to protect them. Aknonkanon's brother, Aknadin, had to get permission from the gods in order to be welcomed into the Afterlife. He spent a few millennia in the torture of the God of Destruction, Seth for the crimes he had committed in his life by allowing the darkness back into the world. Promising to learn from his mistakes and helping his brother, he was allowed to enter paradise, but under strong supervision. After all, Aknonkanon had forgiven his brother, even if Atem had not.

"Dear, what troubles you?" A woman with long salt and pepper hair asked. Aknonkanon sighed.

"Mira, the gods have given me a dreadful message." Mira placed her hand on her husband's upper arm and encouraged him to go on.

"What kind of message?"

"One that has to do with our son." Mira was about to ask what it was when Atem and Mana walked into the room to join his parents and the priests. Suddenly, in mid-step, Atem almost fell over with the pain in his chest. He held a hand to his heart.

"Atem, are you okay?" Mana asked, trying to help her best friend up.

"I … I don't know … it's this pain in my heart … I d-don't know what it's from …" As he said this, another spike of pain ran through him. "What's … happening to me?" He asked himself. Mana helped Atem the rest of the way.

"My son …" Aknonkanon's voice sounded concerned. Atem's mother ran over to him.

"Oh, Baby, are you alright?" Atem lifted himself up as Mira checked over him.

"I'm fine, Mother." He regained his posture. He hated looking like a fool in front of his father, even though he knew that the old Pharaoh could not be more proud of him. "You asked for me, Father?" Atem's voice held a tone of strain to it, as if he was trying to fight back the pain. Aknonkanon nodded.

"Yes." He walked over to pool of water; a pool called the Pool of Grace. It showed what the seeker wanted to see. "I am sure you are familiar with the name '_Yugi Moto_', am I correct?" Atem's eyes widened. There was no possible reason he could think of for why his father would know that name.

"W-what about him?" Aknonkanon bowed his head, which told Atem that this was not going to be good news.

"The gods have told me that the boy is dying." Atem gasped with horror in his eyes. "And they thought that you would like to know." Atem had tears running down his face by now. Normally, he would not have shown such emotion in front of so many people, but he just could not help it. Mira, Mana and the Priests all had looks of confusion on their faces. But that was irrelevant to Atem.

"W-why?" The crack in his voice was noticeable all around. Aknonkanon took a deep breath as he prepared himself to explain Yugi's condition.

"He has been extremely ill for a long period of time." Atem could not stop his tears from falling. He was looking at the floor. All he could picture was Yugi's small, fragile form, suffering in pain all by himself. Then a thought came to him. That was the reason he kept feeling that tug at his heart … because the other half of his soul was dying. Atem unconsciously placed his hand over his heart again. If Yugi died, who knew where he would go? And if that happened, he would never see Yugi again.

"Where would he go?"

"That is uncertain." Atem swallowed the rest of his grief and walked over to the Pool of Grace and waved a hand over it.

"Show me Yugi!" He commanded. Everyone else gathered around the pool to get a look. The water in the pool whirled around in a tiny whirlpool until an image of Yugi showed up. Atem gasped, his bottom lip quivering. Yugi looked worse than he originally thought. His skin was deathly pale, he was covered in sweat, and his cough sounded so bad that Atem thought Yugi would tear his esophagus when he did. Looking at this image, Atem's world came crashing down. How could he help his little one if he was here and Yugi was there?

"Why does he look like you?" Seto, one of the Priests asked. Atem looked at him and raised a brow, thinking Seto should know this. '_Oh, that's right_.' He thought to himself. Atem had forgotten that besides Mahad, Man, and himself, no one else remembered what had happened.

"Because, Cousin," Atem knew that Seto hated it when he called him that, "he is the lighter half of my soul."

"Baby, I don't understand." Mira said. Atem sighed. He knew that he was going to have to explain this at some point or another.

"When I sacrificed myself," he knew everyone knew about that, "the Puzzle would only accept the dark half of my soul, me." He pointed to himself. "So, it split my soul into two halves: me, and darker half, and Yugi, the lighter half. I remained trapped in that puzzle for five thousand years while my lighter half spent those five thousand years trapped in the void between time and space." Atem took a seat before continuing the tale. "Once the light half of my soul was able to reincarnate, it was born again as Yugi." Atem shrugged his shoulders and made gestures with his hands. So, in a way, Yugi and I are the same person, but at the same time, we are not." Everyone seemed to be bewildered except his father. Aknonkanon seemed to understand everything.

"Wait, I'm confused. How can this kid be you … but not you?" Seto asked.

"Because Yugi is contains my lighter half, but he was born as a different person. I am still Atem. But Yugi is not. He has Moto blood flowing through his veins. We found out that some parts of our genetic make up are different. Our fingerprints are the same, and our hearts beat in sync, but there are traits that I have that Yugi does not and visa versa."

"I'm still confused." Before Atem was able to answer, his father placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Is that why this boy is so important to you?" Atem swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Not … the only reason … Yugi and I … we …" He sighed. Might as well get it out. "We fell in love." Atem could hear some gasps and he knew that one of them came from his mother. This made him irritated and he got defensive. "None of you know what it's like to be only half a soul! You crave the other part!" Tears started to form in his eyes again. "And that's how Yugi and I got so close!" He yelled, trying to justify his happiness. There was a long silence.

"Atem, does this boy make you happy?" Aknonkanon asked. Atem nodded, not at all ashamed of how he felt about Yugi. "Then go and bring him here."

"WHAT?!" The Priests shouted. They all started talking at once, trying to come up with reasons why Aknonkanon could not order that, or reasons why he should not allow that. Atem was about to yell when someone else beat him to it.

"_**QUIET!!!!!!**_" His mother yelled. Mira hardly ever yelled, and she surprised people when she did. "So long as my baby is happy, the boy is welcome here." Not another word was said from the Priests. Aknonkanon nodded, agreeing with his wife.

"Mira is correct. The gods would not have told me this if they were not welcoming him into their realm." The vote was unanimous … when Mira and Aknonkanon agreed on something, the subject was closed. Atem smiled and hugged his mother.

"Than you so much!" He said to both of them. Mira hugged him back.

"Go get him." Mira said, happily looking into Atem's eyes. Atem disappeared with a smile on his face. Once he was gone, no one said anything, not really knowing what _to_say. That is … until Seto scoffed.

"Great, now there's two of them … my worst nightmare come true."

---

Atem reappeared on the mortal plain. Invisible, he knew this at once. He knew he was going to a hospital and he expected the quiet, but this was absolute silence … and it was eerie. It seemed peaceful enough, and then he spotted a door with the number 207 on it. It was closed, but that did not matter to Atem. Being a spirit, he was able to walk right through it.

Just as he was about to, he heard the sound of sobbing. He went over to the other side of the corner to see who it was. To his surprise, it was Solomon, Yugi's grandfather. This made Atem sad. He had never seen the Moto patriarch in such a distressed state. Usually, the old man never showed negative emotions.

"Please …" The elder mumbled. Atem had to lean closer to him in order to hear him. Solomon had his hand together and his head bowed in a praying position. "Please … someone stop my grandson's suffering …" It sounded as if Solomon did not know who he was talking about, but also sounded as if he was talking to anyone that would listen. Fortunately for him, that person happened to be Atem. The ancient one felt sorry for him. It must have torn him apart, watching his grandson struggle in pain, and waiting for the end that he knew was coming. When Solomon raised his head, Atem could see the dark circles under his eyes, making him look far older than he was. It looked as if he had not gotten any rest in a long time. "I don't care how it happens, just take his pain away." He seemed to be begging more than anything else. Tears continued to flow down the old man's eyes as he prayed. This was too much. Atem had decided then to take action.

"Your wish shall be granted, Mr. Moto." With that, Atem walked straight through the closed hospital door where his sick light waited for him.

The scene on the other side of that door just broke his heart. There, in the bed, lay Yugi. He looked smaller than usual. His skin seemed even paler then Atem had seen in the Pool. His breathing came in as deep, labored breaths. His pale skin was still covered in sweat. Atem felt tears in his eyes once again. The room had a particular scent to it. Not the usual smell of a hospital, but a different aroma.

"Death …" Atem whispered. Being able to control the shadows, as well as being a spirit, gave Atem heightened senses. He could smell and hear things that normal people could not. He remembered this particular scent in his father's room the night he died, then again as he sacrificed his soul. It smelled a lot like flowers but a bit different; most people would probably associate it with a funeral home. Just the fact that this scent was here confirmed Atem's fear: that Yugi really was dying. It really was not fair. Yugi was so young. He was only seventeen. He had not even finished high school yet. Why was the world so cruel to Yugi?

Atem slowly walked over to the bed. Yugi was asleep, and even in sleep, he had a hard time drawing in breaths. Atem smiled and caressed Yugi's cheek with his finger, even though he knew that the boy could not actually feel it.

"Hello, Yugi." Atem said, still under the knowledge that he could not be heard. "I'm so sorry that you had to suffer alone, my little one." Yugi groaned and turned his head to Atem's direction, as if knowing his love was right there with him. Atem gave Yugi a kiss on the forehead. "Come along, little one. It's time to come home." With that, Atem's spiritual arms disappeared into Yugi's body. The boy's spirit remained unconscious as Atem held him.

As soon as Yugi's soul left his body, a very loud alarm sounded. Not long after the alarm sounded, a bunch of doctors and nurses ran into his room. Atem moved out of the way, even though he really did not have to.

"He's flat lining!" One of the doctors said. Atem could see Solomon standing in the doorway with shock written all over his face.

"I can't get a pulse!" A nurse announced. One of the doctors turned around.

"We're going to have to shock him!" Another nurse wheeled the machine over to the bed. The doctor took the paddles.

"Set it to ten thousand volts." (_I have no idea how many …_) A nurse did as he asked. "CLEAR!" The doctor placed the paddles onto Yugi's chest and let the electricity flow through his seemingly lifeless body. Yugi's body jumped as a result. After the shock, there a nurse checked for his pulse. The heart monitor was still flat lining.

"Nothing." They were going to have to try again. The doctor with the paddles placed them on Yugi once again.

"CLEAR!" The body jumped again at the burst of electricity. While all of this was going on, Atem watched, knowing that whatever the medical professionals did would not wake the boy up. The nurse once again checked for a pulse, but then looked at the doctor and shook her head. The doctor sighed. Third times the charm, so he was going to try again. He was determined to save this boy's life. "CLEAR!" They repeated the process, hoping for a different result. But that was not to be. The doctors and nurses all looked at each other as the heart monitor continued to make the alarming noise. The doctor that had shocked Yugi three times sighed, put the paddles down, and took off his gloves. "Call it …" His voice had a disappointed tone to it. Now he was going to have to give the grandfather the dreadful news.

"Time of death: 12:07 a.m." The nurse said. The doctor that tried to save Yugi's life began his difficult task of telling his patient's loved ones that he had died. When he looked at the old man, he could tell that he was already expecting the news. Atem thought for a second.

"12:07 a.m. … the same time Yugi entered this world." He looked at the unconscious spirit in his arms. "Happy birthday, Yugi." The two spirits disappeared after that, returning to their own world.

---

_End of Chapter_


	2. Chapter 2

_Wow, I honestly did not expect this to be such a hit. Of course I do not do one-shots. What's the point of that? Anyway, this is a short chapter, but it's short for a reason; if I got any further into it, this **would** be the last chapter. Anyway, here's the next one. It may not be as well written as the last, and I have no excuse for that, but oh well._

---

Atemreappeared in the palace of the afterlife with Yugi's spirit still unconscious and still in his arms. The warm atmosphere was very calming to him. The cold feeling that the mortal plain gave him just told him that he had been dead for far too long. The former pharaoh chuckled as this thought entered his mind. As soon as they were seen, Atem's parents, Mana, and the priests crowded around them. All were so astonished to see just how similar this boy looked like Atem. It was more eerie than they thought.

"Is he alright?" Isis softly asked. She wanted to check over him. She still loved being a healer. But because they now lived in paradise, she hardly ever had a chance to do her job. Atem nodded his response, not taking his eyes off of his little love.

"He's fine." The look of concern in Atem's eyes was noticeable.

"He is probably still feeling the effects of his illness." Aknonkanon said. Atem nodded again.

"That's what I believe." Suddenly, Yugi began to stir. Atem looked around at his family and friends. "Let me talk to him; no one speak until I say." Yugi moaned and slowly opened his eyes. Atemhad forgotten just how beautiful they actually were. Those eyes could suck one in and never let them go. They were that peaceful. The first thing he saw was Atem's face, and his smile. Yugi's eyes gave a relaxed look as he smiled back. "Hello, Yugi." Yugi let out a relaxed sigh.

"I love these kinds of dreams." Atem, along with everyone else, was taken aback by this comment.

"Uh…what do you mean '_these kinds of dreams_'?" Yugi giggled, snuggling into Atem's chest.

"You know, the ones where I get to see you. We have a lot of fun. Remember that dream we spent at the beach? We had a lot of fun." The tone that Yugi was using made Atem think that the boy had been drugged…or high. But he knew that was not true. He looked to his father, who shrugged. Atem was just going to have to snap Yugi out of this state himself.

"You…you think this is a dream?" Yugi giggled again.

"Of course it is, Silly. Why else would I be here?"

"Kid, this isn't"—Seto started, only to be interrupted by Atem.

"Ah! Tut, tut, tut!" Atem yelled, holding up his hand to silence the rest of Seto's comment. Yugi looked over at the youngest priest and giggled.

"Hey, it's Kaiba! He's never been in our dreams before, Yami." Seto looked confused. Atem sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"That's not Kaiba, Yugi…" Apparently, Yugi still did not know what had happened to him. He still had no idea that he had died.

"Sure it is, and look, Ishizuand Grandpa are here too." He said, pointing to them both. Everyone gave the two identical males a confused look, mostly directed at Atem. He responded with a look that said that he would explain everything later. This was the first time that Yugi had noticed all the people around him. There were people he had never seen nor heard of before, which scared him. "Why are all of these people in our dream, Yami?" Seto elbowed Karim in the stomach.

"Who's '_Yami_'?" He whispered. Karim whispered back.

"I have no idea …" Ignoring them, Atemtook Yugi's hand and gave it a kiss.

"Yugi … Little One …" Yugi smiled at hearing the nickname he had not heard in so long. "I don't know how to tell you this … but this is not a dream." Yugi blinked, innocence and confusion in his eyes before he smiled again.

"Sure it is. You say that every time," His smile faded and he lowered his gaze to the golden floor, "and every time I believe you … then I wake up and I'm all alone …" He sounded so sad. Atem swallowed the lump in his throat and continued to caress Yugi's hand.

"I'm sorry that I have to be the one to tell you this; especially in your current state of mind, but you're not dreaming. This is real." Yugi shook his head and tried to stand up."

"No, it has to be … because … you're dead!" Atem swallowed another lump that had somehow formed in his throat and bowed his head. Judging by Atem's facial nonverbals, Yugi's eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and he began to back away while shaking his head. "N-no … no, it's not true! I'm not dead!" Atem tried to approach the boy again only to have Yugi back up even more.

"Yugi, please …"

"Sh-shut up! Just shut up!" The stutter did not go unnoticed by Atem and the others. "I-I'm n-not d-dead! I can't be dead, I haven't even graduated yet!"

"I know it's not fair, Yugi, but you were very, very ill." Yugi shook his head in confusion.

"W-when? W-with what?!" He was on the verge of screaming now. Now it was Atem's turn to be confused.

"You don't remember?" Yugi's breathing became so rough that he started panting, and everyone could see it.

"Remember what?!"

"Don't you remember being sick in the hospital for four months?" Yugi turned his gaze away, trying to remember anything, but nothing came to him. This was also giving him a big headache.

"No! No, I don't remember being sick, and I'm definitely _**NOT** _dead!!" Before anything else could be said, Yugi ran off. He was still wearing the hospital gown that he had died in, and everyone got a look at his pale butt as he ran. That was the least of Atem's worries … for now.

"Yugi, wait!" Atem was about to run after him when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Atem, let the boy collect himself." Aknonkanon said. Atem had defiance in his eyes. He was scared for Yugi because he did not know this place and could get lost. That would just make his state of shock even worse.

"But Father, he'll get lost! What if he leaves the palace?!" Worse case scenarios were swirling around in Atem's mind.

"Then you two are still connected, correct? You can find him using that connection." Mira decided to step in.

"He's in shock, Dear. Let the situation come to him. Don't worry, he'll come around." Atem lowered his head in defeat and nodded. His parents were right. Yugi needed to work things out in his own way. But that did not mean that Atem had to like it one bit.

---

Sometime later, there really was no concept of time in the afterlife, Atem returned to his parents in the throne room. He had just gotten back from looking for Yugi, who had wondered off. The Priests were all out on patrol in the city, so Atem's parents were alone.

"Has he come by here?" There was true worry in his voice. Mira shook her head.

"No, Baby. Give him some more time." She said.

"But"—He was interrupted by a soft, lost voice.

"Yami …" Atem, knowing that he was '_Yami_', turned around to see Yugi. He had the look of a lost, lonely little puppy on his face. Tears made his eyes look like purple crystals. Atem could not help but feel sorry for him. The boy stood there, still in his hospital gown, and twiddling with his fingers. Atem was afraid to step toward him, should the boy run off again.

"Yugi …" He decided to risk stepping closer. He expected Yugi to step away from him but he did not. Actually, Yugi stepped closer to Atem as well.

"Y-you were right …" Atem blinked in confusion. "… I'm dead." Those tears that the small boy tried so hard to fight finally fell down his cheeks. They left little streams of moisture down his cheeks in their wake. Atem's heart broke even more at seeing tears in those beautiful eyes that he loved so much. He went over and pulled Yugi into a tight, loving hug. Yugi hugged Atem back and whimpered.

"Yes, Yugi. You are," Yugi's grip on Atem increase. Just hearing Atem confirm it made the situation worse in Yugi's mind. "Come; let's get you changed into something more comfortable."

"Why?"

"Because I don't think you want to wear a hospital gown that's half-open." Yugi looked behind himself, only to see his naked behind being shown to Yugi's parents. He squeaked with embarrassment and reached behind to grab both sides of the gown.

"How embarrassing …" Atem chuckled and Yugi joined him not long after. Atem's parents watched the whole scene and felt happy at seeing Atem so happy for the first time in so long.

---

Layer, Atem came down to dinner with Yugi dressed in an outfit similar to his own, but without the cape and crown. This dinner was special. All the priests and Mana would be there so that they could get to know Yugi. Once they entered the dinning hall, Yugi saw the others and gripped Atem's hand tightly out of nervousness. Atem smiled at this. Yugi was so shy, and Atem could not figure out why because the boy really had no reason to be. He was very likable.

"Hello, All." Atem said. Bows were made. Atem turned to Yugi, smiling that dreamy smile. "Yugi, these are my friends. In my time, they were the item holders." Yugi seemed interested at this part. "Yugi, this is Shimon, Shada, Isis, Karim, Mahad, and Seto. They are the priests that held the other items." Atem explained, pointing to each person as he introduced them. Yugi looked at them. He recognized a few faces. He then poked Atem in the arm to get his attention.

"Yami, were Isis and Seto reincarnated?" Atem continued to smile and nodded. He turned to the two of them.

"That's why he thought you were someone else when he woke up." Isis and Seto nodded, now understanding. Yugi looked at Mahad and gasped. A thought came to him, but he could not be fully sure.

"Are … are … a-are you …?" Atem laughed and decided to answer Yugi's unfinished question.

"Yes, Yugi. Mahad is the Dark Magician." Yugi gasped. He knew it! Mahad smiled and bowed a little bit.

"It is good to see you again, Little Master." Yugi blushed at this title, which caused everyone else to laugh at how adorable he was acting. Suddenly, Yugi was tackled and would have fallen over if the person who had tackled him was not holding him in their arms.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again, Little Master! I missed you so much!"

"I-I missed you too … I think …" Atem rolled his eyes. Sometimes Mana did not know her own strength.

"Mana, let him go." Yugi looked at Atem with bewilderment.

"'_Mana_'?" He had heard that name somewhere before. The boy looked over his shoulder to who was holding him. What he saw was a blond girl with blue eyes smiling at him. She wore a strange hat on her head. Yugi gasped again. He knew that strange hat! "You're Dark Magician Girl!" Mana laughed and nodded.

"That's right!"

"So you're Mana? That girl I met in Ancient Egypt?" Mana nodded again.

"Yup!"

"But, weren't you brunette?" Mana sighed and twirled a finger in her hair.

"I was Dark Magician Girl when we got here, so it just stuck. You like it?" She asked, almost reaching an unbelievably high octave.

"Oh, uh … yeah … o-of course I do …" Yugi felt Atem's hand on his shoulder.

"Yugi, I want you to meet two very important people to me." Mana scoffed.

"Oh, like we're not important too?" Atem rolled his eyes again.

"Mana, pause for a second, alright?" Mana wanted to reply, but could not come up with a witty enough comeback. Yugi smiled in a laughing manner. Atem escorted his little love over to the other side of the room.

"Yugi, meet my parents." He said, making an arm gesture to the couple. Yugi gasped. He never thought that he would have the chance to meet Atem's parents face to face. Atem pointed to the older man dressed in colorful royal robes. He had a gray beard that covered his chin. Yugi could see that some of Atem's facial features looked almost identical to this man's own; from his sharp chin and nose to his high cheek bones and thin lips. Yugi, this is my father, King Aknonkanon." Yugi bowed. It was all he could think of to do at the time.

"It's p-pleasure to m-meet you, Your M-majesty." Aknonkanon chuckled.

"So, this is the boy that freed my son." Yugi blushed.

"Y-yes, S-sir." Aknonkanon laughed again and this time, Atem joined in. Yugi looked from father to son and back again. He could not really understand what was so funny. Fortunately, he received his answer.

"There is no need for formalities, my boy." Yugi blushed, kind of feeling like an idiot.

"O-okay, sir." Father and Son laughed again. Apparently, Yugi just could not help himself. The boy still failed to see what was so funny. But he let it go as Atem's laughter began to die down. The youngest royal placed his hand on the small of Yugi's back and led him behind his father.

"And this is my mother, Mira." Atem's eyes looked exactly like a carbon copy of this woman's eyes.

"You've never mentioned anything about your mother before." Yugi whispered to Atem.

"That's because she died after giving birth to me. I did not know her, but I was able to get to know her when I came here."

"Oh …" Given Yugi's relationship with his own mother, he was even more nervous around Mira than he was when he met Aknonkanon. "N-nice to meet you too, M-ma'am …" The petite queen was surprisingly strong. Now Yugi knew where Atem got his upper body strength.

"Welcome, Yugi." This took Yugi off guard. He flinched a little bit, but soon relaxed and hugged her back. "There is no need to be so nervous around us." Mira said, giving the small boy a warm, motherly smile; which Yugi was hardly ever given.

"I-I'm not …" Mana giggled, causing Yugi's cheeks to once again turn a rosy red color. She had forgotten just how cute her little master could be, even when he was not trying. The deep sound of someone clearing their throat occurred.

"Well, I do believe it is time for dinner. Why don't we all go to the dining room?" Aknonkanon said. Yugi stood there and blinked innocently.

"You mean together?"

"No, he means separately. We all go at once, but we eat at different times." Seto answered sarcastically. Yugi held his head down. This Seto was really no different than Kaiba; they both made him feel inferior. It was a shame that Yugihad to suffer this humiliation even from beyond the grave. Atem must have felt Yugi's discomfort because he responded to Seto's rude comment.

"Back off, Seto! He's never had a full family dinner before!" Real annoyance was clearly present in Atem's tone of voice. So much so that Seto held his hands up in defeat, knowing not to get Atem riled up when it was not necessary, especially when it came to Yugi. Mira gasped.

"Oh, dear, you've never had a full family dinner?" Yugi hung his head and shook it.

"M-my mom didn't like to cook and she always said that she hated my mannerisms … whatever that means …" Atem drew Yugi into his arms to try and comfort his little light. Mira stepped close to Yugi, putting a hand on his shoulder. Yugi looked at her with such sad eyes. He really reminded her of Atem when he was a child. She may have died while giving birth to him, but she was always able to watch over her son from the Pool of Grace.

"Come, why don't you tell us about it during dinner?" And that was exactly what he did.

---

Everyone sat around the long, golden table. The priests sat on one side while the royal family sat on the other. As usual, Aknonkanon sat at the head of the table with his wife to his right. Yugi sat next to Atem, who sat between his light and his mother. Seto was in the middle of the priests, across from Atem.

"So, young Yugi, why don't you tell us about yourself?" Aknonkanon asked. Yugi gulped. He hated talking in front of so many people, especially people he did not know and talking about himself made it even worse.

"W-well … uh … I … umm … I … uh"—

"Yugi, relax and calm down." Atem soothed. He rubbed Yugi's arm. At the gentle touch, Yugi did calm down.

"Okay. Well, I lived with my grandpa and my mom in a game shop." He had to stop due to all the looks of confusion that he was receiving. Atem cleared his throat.

"I will explain it later."

"Anyway, I've never really had a stable family. My mother … well, she cared more about herself than she did me. Don't get me wrong, she's my mother and I love her, but she could have been better. If it weren't for my grandpa, I don't think I would have been able to survive."

"So you loved your grandfather?" Yugi nodded.

"I found the puzzle when I was a kid and worked on it for a while." He looked at Atem and smiled. "I didn't know it then, but it was Yami who encouraged me continue working on it." Atem took Yugi's hand and gave it a kiss.

"Dear, you seemed a little nervous when you were talking about your mother before. Why?" Mira asked. Yugi lowered his gaze to his lap with sadness in his eyes. Atem continued to hold Yugi's hand, which gave him the strength to talk about his mother.

"My mother seemed to always resent me for some reason. It was Grandpa that raised me. Mom just seemed to live with us." A tear rolled down his cheek. "I remember being sick now." He looked at Atem with teary eyes. "Sh-she never came to visit me …" Atem felt so sorry for his lighter half. He knew how much Yugi loved his mother, but that love was never fully returned, no matter how hard he tried.

"It's alright, Yugi." He said. Mira felt bad for bringing it up.

"I'm so sorry, Dear. How could a mother treat her own child that way?" Yugi shrugged.

"Grandpa said she just never adjusted to being a mother. She was like my dad. My dad only visited every once in a while. When he did, my mom seemed to forget about me … I always thought that she blamed me for him not sticking around." There were looks of sadness all around the table. This boy was so kind, so loving, and so innocent. How could anyone treat him so badly … especially his own parents? Yugi wiped a tear from his eye. "I wonder how they're handling not having me around." Atem had an idea.

"Well, Yugi, you could see what they're up to." Yugi looked at him.

"How?" Mana squealed.

"Yeah, the Pool of Grace!" Yugi raised a brow.

"Pool of what?"

"Yes, the Pool of Grace. It allows the looker to see anything and anyone they want." Aknonkanon explained.

"Would it show me my mother?"

"Yes it would, Yugi. Come, let me show you." Atem led Yugi away from the table and into another room that was close to the throne room. Yugi saw a water fountain in the middle of the room. There was no place for the water to drain out, so Yugi wondered how the Pool did not overflow. But then again, the rules of the physical world did not necessarily apply to this world. Yugi knew that that was going to take some getting used to. Atem continued to walk towards the Pool. Yugi, after recovering from his awe at the room, followed him. They both failed to realize that Atem's parents, Mahad and Mana had followed them into the room.

"This is the Pool of Grace, Yugi. Wave your hand over it and tell it what you want to see." Yugi stepped closer to the pool and looked inside. The water was so clear that he could see the design of the Pool on the bottom. It looked so fresh that he became thirsty. After a moment's hesitation, Yugi waved his hand over the water. The sudden swirl of the water surprised him at first.

"Um … uh … can I see … wait, I've got a better idea. Can I see my friends?" Atem smiled. He figured Yugi would do that eventually. As the water in the Pool swirled, Yugi could see an image beginning to appear as the swirling slowed down. When it stopped, Yugi gasped. His friends looked so sad.

Joey, Tristan, and Tea all had sad looks on their faces. Tea was wearing a black dress with a handkerchief in her hand. Joey stood there. He seemed as if he was glaring at the ground. Yugi knew him well enough to know that he was just lost in his thoughts. Tristan, like Joey, was dressed in a black suit. His tie was a little loose around his neck. He had his hand covering a part of his mouth. This was his way of crying without actually crying.

"Oh no … why are they so sad?" Atem gazed into the pool and looked at the image. He saw that they are all dressed in black, they were outside, and they were sad. Tea's crying was almost hystaric.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was your funeral." Yugi gasped. Hearing those words haunted him like nothing else.

"I have to see them … in person …" Atem sighed.

"Yugi, I don't"—

"Please!" Yugi looked at him with such sad eyes. He held his hands together in a prayer position. Well, Atem did end Yugi's life. The lease he could do was allow Yugi to see his friends one last time.

"Alright." Yugi was overjoyed. Atem looked at his parents and then grabbed Yugi's hand.

"We'll be back." With that, the two disappeared.

---

_End of Chapter_


	3. Chapter 3

_I have a little bit to say here. First of all, I was reading a recent review from one of my other stories, and someone yelled at me for misspelling. Let me tell all of you right now that I have probably had more English classes than most of you, and definitely have had more English classes since those last updates. So I don't need some stupid high school kid telling me how to spell when said stupid high school kid hardly has enough English credits TO GRADUATE! I apologize for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about._

_Anyway, I've been thinking lately that I have not written a supernatural story in a long time. In fact, I think the only supernatural story I've ever written was_ 'The Little Wish Maker'_, which I'm probably going to revise sooner or later. Anyhoo, I don't know what species to focus on. What kind of supernatural story should I write._

_*Oh, and a little note on that, the first person to say "_vampire_" is going to get a first glance at why I have so many anger management issues! I am **NOT** going to do a vampire story! It's old, it's been way too over done, and it's time to give them a rest! So pick something else, please. Thank you._

_Now, about this chapter ... it's going to seem a little cheesy and probably a little boring, but oh well. I don't write for reviews, I write to have fun. So with all that said, I'll stop ranting and let you read._

---

When Yugi opened his eyes, he found that he was outside, rather than inside as he originally thought would happen. The sun was shining and birds were singing. There was not a cloud in the sky. A happy setting, right? However, the air around him had a melancholy feel to it.

"Where am I?" He asked himself. Atem and Mahad were nowhere to be found. Just when Yugi thought he was all alone, his two escorts appeared before him. The small boy breathed a sigh of relief; he was relieved to know that he was not alone. Atem shook his head to adjust to the new atmosphere.

"I will never get used to jumping through worlds like that …" Mahad had a look of agreement on his face. Yugi gasped as he saw his friends in front of a big crowd.

"Hey, I see them!" He ran off in their direction before anyone could stop him.

"Yugi, wait!" Atem yelled, but Yugi was already on the move. He ran towards the crowd and up to where he saw his friends standing.

"Hey, guys! It's me!" He Yugi received no response when he said this. His friends just continued to stare at whatever they were staring at in a sad way. "Hey, you guys, what's wrong?" Yugi heard Tea sob loudly. Yugi walked up to her. "Tea, what's wrong? Why won't you guys answer me?!"

"Yugi," Yugi turned around when Atem said his name. The ancient one slowly shook his head, "do not bother. They cannot hear you."

"Why not?" The boy asked with disappointment in his voice.

"Because, remember? You are no longer alive. You are invisible to them because you are a spirit now." Yugi lowered his head. He had forgotten that this was his own funeral. In a way, it was a little scary. He looked to his friends and saw that both Joey and Tristan had tear trails on their cheeks as well, although they were not bawling as Tea was.

"It's cold …" Yugi heard Tea say. He did not understand why she thought it was cold out, since it was the beginning of June. He was about to as Atem this question when Joey replied.

"Yeah, world seems to have lost its shine now that Yug's gone." He said. Yugi felt a tear in his eye. He did not know whether that tear was caused from the sadness all around him or the fact that Joey had just complimented him.

"I know what you mean; Yugi was the glue that held us together … and now he's gone …" Tristan replied.

Yugi did begin to cry as he listened to their conversation. He looked around to see who else had come to his funeral. He did see a lot of familiar faces, along with some he did not know. He saw the Kaiba brothers; this was the first time he had seen Mokuba in a suit. Yugi saw that Mokuba was actually crying. Unlike his brother, the younger Kaiba had no problem showing emotions in public … especially when it came to one of his friends. Seto Kaiba just stood there with his arms crossed, but Yugi could tell that his death had affected the young CEO. He could tell by the way his cold ice blue eyes had turned a darker shade of blue, and the way he did not brush his long bangs out of his eyes. That was always a sign that Seto Kaiba was more irritable than usual.

He saw that Mai Valentine had also come to his funeral. Like Mokuba in a suit, this was the first time Yugi had seen the young woman in a full dress. Her dress was long and black. Of course, it would not be Mai if she could not show a little cleavage, so the v-neck of her dress was pretty low. She had a handkerchief in her hand and an Arm around Tea. Her hair was not as full of volume as it usually was; it was straighter and held back in a low ponytail. Tears made her mascara run down her face in dark trails. She had never looked that bad even when she was under the influence of the Oricalcos.

Some people he had only met a few times, like Mako Tsunami, Raphael, and even Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood. They honestly looked upset. Rex wore a black suit while Weevil wore a green one, which Yugi thought odd.

Yugi sighed and looked to the front of the crowd by his friends to see his grandfather. The old man also wore a suit, but he lacked his trademark bandanna. That was a sign that he was very distressed, Yugi knew. He saw a lot of other people that he did not know. He figured they were his 'fans'; and then there were his other classmates. They mourned for the loss of their smallest classmate.

He also saw the three Ishtar Siblings. Marik, Ishizu, and Odion Ishtar stood next to Mai and Tea. Marik had his head lowered and his hands in his pockets. Ishizu stood with her hands together in front of her, as if she were praying.

However, that was not what surprised him. What really surprised Yugi were the people that his grandfather was standing next to. To Grandpa Solomon's right were a woman with red hair, and a man with black hair stood next to her. Yugi gasped. They were his parents!

Judging by the fact that his mother never went to see him in the hospital, and that his father never lived with them very long, Yugi had not expected them to go to his funeral. Yugi walked closer to his parents' side and saw the distress in their eyes. It was real distress, not just something to show for the crowd. Yugi's mother continued to bawl and his father hung his head. Yugi did not expect to see his mother cry so much.

"My baby!" She yelled while crying. "My baby's gone!" She was really breaking down. Yugi had never seen her like this before. He could tell when she was faking and when she was not, and right now she defiantly was not. "Oh, Yugi, my baby … I'm so sorry …" Yugi saw his father nod his head. His father was not one to cry, even at funerals, but Yugi saw tears running down his father's face at that moment. He felt sorry for his parents.

"It's okay, Mom … I love you …" Yugi was about to let tears flow down his face when Atem pulled him into his arms in order to comfort him. "Look, Yami … my parents came to my funeral." Atem nodded.

"See? They really did care about you." Yugi sighed.

"Yeah, it's just too bad that I have to be dead in order for them to show it." Yugi and Atem watched as the pastor began continued with the ceremony.

"Yugi Moto lived a short life. It is never easy when a loved one passes at such a young age. I have known Yugi since he was just a tot, and I must say that that boy could bring a smile to anyone's face." The pastor smiled. "He was a happy boy, no matter what life threw at him, he always found a reason to smile." Yugi smiled.

During childhood, Yugi's family was very involved with their church. Up until middle school, Yugi went to Sunday school and the family went to church every week. Somehow, once Yugi was given the puzzle, the church part of his life seemed to fade away. Also because he was getting older. Yugi knew that his grandfather started to go back to church when the boy was hospitalized.

"Now, I believe Yugi's friends would like to give the eulogy." The only sounds that were made when the pastor moved over were the sounds of sniffling and soft sobs. Joey, Tristan, and Tea all stepped up in front of the crowd. Tea could not seem to stop crying. Joey quickly wiped his eyes and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Many of you know Yugi as the little quiet kid in the back row with the spiky hair," that comment earned a small round of chuckles.

"Hey, I am not that little!" Yugi yelled, putting his hands on his hips. Atem laughed.

"Just listen to what they have to say, Yugi." Yugi huffed and did as he was told.

"But to us, Yugi was the greatest buddy in the world." Joey finished. Yugi blushed, feeling a little bad about yelling just now. "Man, I can remember when I first saw the little guy," and here we are back at the 'little' comment again, "I'll tell ya that I didn't like 'im at all. We were total opposites: he was quiet, I was loud, he was welcoming, I pushed people back, and, well, you get the idea." More chuckles were heard. "Anyway, I teased Yugi for a long time before I got to know 'im. You know how he became my friend? He stood up for me and Tristan here, when we got beat up by some brute at school. He earned my respect that day … and I'll never forget it." By the time Joey's speech was over, his voice started cracking and a few tears fell down his face. It was at this time, when a low round of applause came from the crowd, that Tristan took over.

"Well, my first encounter with Yugi was almost the exact same as Joey's. We figured that since he always did as he was told, he was a teacher's pet and a mama's boy. Man, we were really wrong. He was so forgiving and always helped out someone who had a problem, even if they were someone whom he had never met before." Tristan let out a small chuckle. "I'll tell ya, life with Yugi was anything but boring. Let's just say there was always something to do." The crowd chuckled again, and Yugi giggled a little bit this time as well. "Life's gonna seem so dull and … ordinary without Yugi around to color it in now …" He looked towards the closed coffin with a hand-made quilt over it. It was a quilt that Yugi's grandmother had made when he was born. "Anyway, rest in peace, Yugi … you deserve it." Tristan stepped down and the crowd applauded again. Now it was Tea's turn.

"None of you can understand how truly special Yugi really was … no, he still is special. Yugi always knew how to make people feel better, which was really ironic because people made him feel bad all the time before Joey, Tristan, and I really got to know him. Yugi did not deserve to go the way he did, in agony. He was the greatest friend anyone could ever have. You all loved him for his ability to duel, well we loved him for his heart; a heart that could fit the world. This is a tough time for us, but I know that wherever Yugi is right now, he's not suffering anymore." Tea stepped down and went over to join Joey and Tristan. The crowd applauded softly again while the pastor took his place one again.

"We would now like to take this time for everyone to take reflect upon the short, but effective life that Yugi left us with. With some of you, he left teachings, and it must be agreed upon that everyone here has been touched by Yugi's kindness one way or another." Yugi could hear his mother's sobs become louder.

The crowd formed a line, and each person stopped at the coffin to place a white rose on top of it. If he had to choose, the white rose was Yugi's favorite flower, but the real reason it was used was to symbolize Yugi's innocence.

Soon the crowd had filed out of the cemetery. Yugi had never known that he had touched so many people. He was sad to leave them all, but he had no choice. He tried to keep from crying, but it was just too hard to do so.

"Yugi, it's alright to cry if you want to." Yugi embraced Atem and cried into his chest. Mahad just stood in the background with his arms crossed and gave the two their moment.

"I didn't know that so many people cared about me … now I can't say thank you …" Atem rubbed his back.

"Actually, Yugi, I think this was their chance to thank you." Yugi looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone that came to this ceremony had something to do with your life. From my perspective, most of those people have changed because of you. You showed them that they did not have to be the heartless bastards that they used to be."

"Yami!"

"You know what I mean." Yugi nodded. He did know what Atem meant, and he felt a little better because of it.

"I guess you're right." Atem put an arm around Yugi's shoulders and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"Come, let's go home." Yugi nodded and Mahad granted their wish.

---

_End of Chapter._


End file.
